Cable-Tec Expo: SCTE Forms Working Group for DOCSIS 3.1

Orlando -- The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has formed a Special Working Group within the SCTE Standards Program that will develop best practices and requirements to prepare HFC networks for DOCSIS 3.1 and other higher-capacity signaling schemes.

Jack Moran, fellow of the technical staff for Motorola Mobility’s Home business unit and an author of several DOCSIS specifications, has been named chair of the DOCSIS 3.1 working group. The working group, which reports to the SCTE Standards Engineering Committee, will be responsible for creating recommendations for cable operators as they evolve HFC networks to higher capacity at the same or higher levels of network availability.

The announcement was made during “DOCSIS 3.1 Specifications and Standards Development,” a special session presented by CableLabs and SCTE here at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo.

“Jack was the obvious choice to help SCTE complement CableLabs’ rollout of the next generation of DOCSIS,” said Daniel Howard, SCTE’s CTO and senior vice president of engineering. “Jack’s unparalleled knowledge and experience in HFC network engineering is well-known and deeply respected by SCTE, CableLabs, and cable operators both here in the United States and abroad.”

Moran, a 31-year Motorola veteran, has worked to expand HFC network capacity via support of advanced modulation schemes such as ATDMA and S-CDMA, higher-order modulation and expanded RF spectrum on both upstream and downstream portions of the HFC plant. Moran has played a key role in defining the optimum RF performance of Motorola's cable-modem termination system and Converged Cable Access Platform offerings.

“The power and flexibility of HFC networks continues to make them well-suited for next generation technologies,” Moran commented. “With intelligent and proactive RF plant maintenance techniques, as well as advancements in higher power laser technology and enhanced RF spectrum, cable operators will be extremely well-positioned to keep up with Nielsen’s Law growth in demand for speed and services.”

“SCTE and CableLabs have a shared commitment to helping cable operators significantly accelerate deployment of advanced technologies such as DOCSIS 3.1,” Buckeye CableSystem CTO Joe Jensen and chairman of the SCTE Engineering Committee, said. “By working closely to align training and best practices with technology development, we can ensure that new technologies are deployed as quickly as possible.”

SCTE’s Standards Program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute.